'West' May Be Forced To Wing It Next Season (WEST WING POLL, SHOULD IT STAY OR GO)

Metromix.com ^ | Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | Steve Johnson

[fight_truth_decay]

With Aaron Sorkin "voluntarily leaving" his show "The West Wing" and John Wells stepping in to replace him — a Very Bad Sign for the future of the slipping NBC White House series — it's probably now or never for the unveiling of my lyrics to the show's stately theme music. So here goes. It helps to read these while watching or, better, as I do, to sing them zestily aloud: "In D.C., there is a wing That's on the west side of a house It's not the east wing, or the south It's not the north wing, shut your mouth …" And that, despite years of trying to develop a second verse, is where I'm stuck. It's probably where I'll stay stuck because it's hard to imagine the series being worth much next season without Sorkin, it's creator, co-executive producer (with Wells) and writer of most of its scripts. Founding director Thomas Schlamme is leaving, too, It is indisputable that the series (8 p.m. Wednesday, WMAQ-Ch. 5) has developed a desperate air in the tail end of this season, throwing in unlikely, momentous events willy-nilly (Another White House shooting! A pending kidnapping!) in an attempt to either regain audience or mimic a daytime soap opera plot. What Wells is really known for, inside TV land, is being able to make the trains run on time. Sorkin's reputation is for holding up the trains as he pounds out the last few pages of a giddily literate script. Such indulgences were granted when the show was cleaning up in the ratings, winning three consecutive best drama Emmys, but this season, as the show has lost close to a third of its young-adult audience (mostly to "The Bachelor"), cost overruns apparently became more annoying. So prepare ye, "West Wing" fans, for a much more efficient television program next year, one where maybe the lows won't be so low, but the highs won't even come close. I'll be curious, yes, but I'll be a lot more interested in what Sorkin and Schlamme come up with next.

[fight_truth_decay]

I thought the Captain(s) usually went down with the Ship?

No mention of Mr.Sheen..he can't be too pleased he might be out of a President gig (of course he blames it on the Bachelor) or what's more lend this 'name' to a 'sinking ship'.

Anyone have an idea for a grand finale ?

Also a Poll now being taken by the Trib. (so far)

White House Blues.. Is it time to call the movers for "West Wing"?

50.2%

Yes (239 responses)

49.8%

No (237 responses)

[conservativeinbflo.]

Boo-hoo. I hate to see such a liberal piece-of-crap show bite the dust. What will Martin Sheen do?

muhahahahaha!!!

[Semper Paratus]

Before it goes I want to see the episode where Dennis Miller defeats Martin Sheen for President.

[wideawake]

If they wanted to save the show they could introduce a realistic conservative character as a governor or senator who runs against Bartlett and wins.

Then they could have a show that reflects the values of the viewing public.

But they would rather destroy the franchise than go off message.

[The_Victor]

Before it goes I want to see the episode where Dennis Miller defeats Martin Sheen for President.

If they did or were even willing to do that, we wouldn't be discussing the show's cancellation.

[bmwcyle]

53.5%
Yes (274 responses)


46.5%
No (238 responses)

512 total responses

[bmwcyle]

bttt

[Cincinatus]

Anyone have an idea for a grand finale ?

Having never watched the show, I hesitate jumping right in with an idea, but as this is FR, where everyone opines about thing of which they know not, here goes anyway...

President Bartlett lies under oath in a sexual harassment lawsuit. In discovery, he's found to have had an affair with a White House Intern, from whom he suborns perjury. This is discovered and he's impeached by the House and then tried and convicted in the Senate. He is removed from office and his VP takes over, but he is then impeached and convicted for taking bribe money from Chinese agents. The Republican Speaker of the House becomes President and the nation lives happily ever after.

[Grand Old Partisan]

For the first time in my life, I watched -- maybe fifteen minutes of -- The West Wing. The fascistic politics aside, it was very well done dramatically, so I can see its appeal -- fascistic politics aside.

[smith288]

That was supposed to happen a few years back... The similarities are striking. But this dream world you made up must have some republicans with a set of steel gnads. *sigh*

[Gopher Broke]

Click HERE to tell NBC to DUMP the show.......

[fight_truth_decay]

Is it time to call the movers for "West Wing"?



55.8%
Yes (301 responses)


44.2%
No (238 responses)

539 total responses

Moving right along.

[sarasota]

I checked it out last week. They've introduced a Republican (Matthew Perry) to whom CJ says, "You know, I hate you and everything you stand for." He's the only character with integrity.

The VP on the show was caught having an affair and the Pres (Sheen) tried to talk him out of resigning. It was typical Democrap.

[AbsoluteJustice]

"It's probably where I'll stay stuck because it's hard to imagine the series being worth much next season without Sorkin, it's creator, co-executive producer (with Wells) and writer of most of its scripts."

I don't ever recall the series being worth much as it is. Maybe it as it should be so that Sorkin can attend to more pressing matters, like his drug problem.

[sarasota]

Done. I told them to write in a Republican candidate for presidency who wins. And that we're all than a little weary of the Democrap.

[Pete]

President Bartlett lies under oath in a sexual harassment lawsuit. In discovery, he's found to have had an affair with a White House Intern, from whom he suborns perjury. This is discovered and he's impeached by the House and then tried and convicted in the Senate. He is removed from office and his VP takes over, but he is then impeached and convicted for taking bribe money from Chinese agents. The Republican Speaker of the House becomes President and the nation lives happily ever after.

I know TV can and does vary from reality but your idea simply goes way beyond any measure of believability. A sitting President has an affair with an intern?!? Certainly, the public would never elect a person who was capable of such base behavior. I suppose that next you will suggest the writers make the said affair occur in the oval office. If you are going to go off the deep end, why not just take the show to cable and add all sorts of perversions and excretions.

[fight_truth_decay]

Done. Sheen has gone the way of Asner. I can't imagine the audience of West Wing switching to the Bachelor. Sounds like 'damage control' and the Bachelor was a good excuse as any.

[Cincinatus]

It is a bit over the top, isn't it?

[vollmond]

The show died when they wimped out on the election. The Republican candidate had been positioned as a much more formidable opponent then he turned out to be. He was a non-intellectual, a crime to the oh-so-smart liberals, but that wasn't enough to make him a candidate that Bartlett could beat easily even in a fictional world.

They tried to make the Republican seem stupid, but it wasn't working. The debate that Bartlett supposedly buried him in was completely unconvincing, and they couldn't find issues that would resonate enough to make Bartlett a more desirable candidate.

In the meantime, the Bartlett administration was beset by scandal and broken promises. He even ordered an assassination of a terrorist - something most Republicans would support (left unspoken is that fact that innocent flight crew members must have been offed as well, unless I missed an episode where they explained that away).

So, tra-la-la, a debate is held, Bartlett comes off well according to the script writers, and the world is saved from Republicans. The debate was when this show jumped the shark.

[Grand Old Partisan]

I saw the scene in which Perry reveals to the boss lady something about phone logs.